CGC Volleyball Premier League: Offa, UCEM Seal Thrilling Five-Set Wins

By Arinzechi Chukwunonso

The 2025 CGC Volleyball Premier League (Phase One) in Abuja delivered another pulsating round of action on Day 11, with drama, upsets, and standout performances that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

The men’s category produced two classic five-set battles as Offa Volleyball Club and UCEM Volleyball Club fought back from difficult positions to record memorable wins.

Offa VC edged Kano Pillars 3-2 in a rollercoaster contest, taking the first two sets 25-22 and 30-28 before Kano roared back to snatch the third and fourth sets. The decisive tie-breaker went down to the wire, with Offa holding their nerve to seal a 15-13 victory.

UCEM Volleyball Club also had to dig deep against Kada Stars, recovering from two sets down to pull off a dramatic comeback. After losing the first two sets (21-25, 20-25), UCEM rallied to claim the next three (25-23, 25-20, 15-9), sealing an emotional 3-2 triumph that drew loud cheers from the Abuja crowd.

Elsewhere, Nigeria Customs Service suffered a setback in their title chase, falling 1-3 to the NSCDC in a fiery clash. Despite a marathon opening set that ended 31-29 in favour of Customs, the Civil Defence side stormed back to dominate the next three sets (25-23, 25-18, 25-23), underlining their championship credentials.

Police also showed resilience in their 3-1 victory over the Nigerian Air Force, while COAS Spikers overpowered Sunshine Spikers 3-1. CNS continued their fine run with a solid 3-1 win over Correctional Service.

In the women’s division, the big guns flexed their muscles with commanding performances. Nigeria Customs overpowered Olalomi Queens 3-0 in a show of strength, while defending champions NSCDC swept aside Benue Queens in straight sets (25-15, 25-17, 25-12). CNS women cruised past LifeCamp with a comfortable 3-0 win, and Kada Queens outclassed Wikki Spikers 3-0. In another highlight, the Nigerian Air Force outlasted Anambra Queens in a tightly fought third set to claim a 3-0 victory (25-12, 25-16, 32-30).

Day 11 once again underscored the competitive depth of the CGC Volleyball League, with UCEM and Offa’s five-set thrillers stealing the spotlight, while NSCDC and Customs continued to stamp their dominance in the women’s race.